Portable dark room for photographic purposes.



G. BURR & H. F. THOMA$. PORTABLE DARK ROOM FOR PHOTOGRAPHIG PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1908.

Patented May 18, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

//v CHRISTIAN EURR HENHYF. TI-IEJMAS ATTORNEYS G. BURR & H F. THOMAS. PORTABLE DARK ROOM FOR PHOTOGRAPHIO PURPOSES.

APPLICATIQN IILED SEPT. 28. 1908.

922,254. Patented May 18, 1909.

zsnnTs-snnm z. 722/ INVENTORS IAN EUE'R ATTORNEYS F! THEIMAS I v CHRISTIAN BURR AND HENRY FRANK THOMAS, OF NATRONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PORTABLE DARK ROOM FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Application filed September 28, 1908. Serial No. $55,306.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHRISTIAN Bonn and HENRY F. Tirol-Mas, citizens of the United States, residing at Natrona, in the county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Portable Dark Rooms for Photographic Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

Our improved dark room is adapted, like stationary ones, for use in loading plateholders, developing negatives, and printing photos, and is so constructed as to be collapsible and thus easily portable and adapted to occupy small space when out of use.

The details of construction, combination, and operation of parts are as hereinafter de scribed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of our portable dark-room set up and in readiness for use. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective illustrating the means for staying or supporting the folding end portions of the box, or dark-room, Fig. 2 is a detail View illustrating the construction of the foldable wire frame that supports the extensible hood. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus. Fig. t is a perspective view of the same when in folded condition, save the legs, which are shown projecting upward, for sake of better illustration of other parts. Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section on the line 5, 5, of Fig. 3.

The body, or dark-room, proper is oblong and rectangular and composed of rigid top and bottom pieces 1 and l foldable end portions 2, 2 and flexible sides 3, the latter being provided with lateral extensible sleeves 3 whose ends are provided with elastics and thereby normally contracted. The arms of the operator are inserted through these sleeves so that he can work in the interior of the box while all the white light is shut out. The dark room proper is supported by legs 4 and 4, which are hinged to the reinforced ends of the body l The legs 4 at one end are spaced apart and rigidly connected by a bridge-piece 4 while the single leg 4 is so located that when the legs are folded, the leg et folds into the space between the legs rand over the bridge piece 4 The legs are pressed and held rigidly in the required position to support the dark-room proper by means of bars 5, which are hinged at the center of the bottom 1 a and formed of two parts, hinged together centrally and detachably I respective legs 4, 4*. A folding, collapsible i hood 6 is attached to the top portion of the 3 box and is open at one end when extended as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This hood is formed of cloth or other fabric and supported by a wire frame composed of two bows 7, 7, one of which is provided with a lever extension 7" (see Fig. l), which is pivoted at S to the top 1 of the box. The rear how 7 is pivoted to the front one.

The pendent lever arm 7 of the front bow is formed with a loop, and an elastic band or strap 9 connects it with a pivoted arm 10 of a rod arranged on the top 1. This arm is normally pendent, and comes in contact with a stop as shown. It is pivoted in order to adapt it to be swung upward and thus lie parallel to the top 1, when the apparatus is to be folded and transported. Strap 9 is pro vided with holes and hooks which adapt it to be readily attached or detached and for extension or contraction, as required. It will be understood this strap attachment is provided on each side of the box. The normal tension of the strap 9 holds the hood in the distended or elevated position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. When it is desired to throw the hood back out of the way, or to collapse and fold it upon the top 1 of the dark-room, the operator places his foot on the treadle ll which is connected by a strap 12 with an arm 13 rigidly attached to the lever 7 at point adjacent to its pivot 8. Thus the pressure on the treadle operates against the normal tension of the elastic straps 9 and so long as operators foot is held pressed on the treadle, the hood 6 will be thrown back and held back out of the way. The strap 12 is provided with holes and a catch similar to the straps 9, so that it may be lengthened or shortened as case may require. One of the treadle blocks is detachably connected by means of a hook 14 with a hasp or keeper 15 attached to the lower end of one of the legs 4, as shown in Fig. l.

The top 1 of the dark-room is provided with a slide 16 having an opening provided with a stained or red glass plate 17. The slide l6 is fitted in grooves in the top 1 and may be readi y slid back and forth, as required in the operation of the apparatus. In Fig. l, the slide is shown partly open, and in Fig. 3 it is shown closed.

The ends 2 of the box are hinged at l the top and liottbm and also to each other connected by a bayonet slot and pin with the l centrally, so that in collapsing the box they llu ti l

fold inward. In order to hold them in the vertical position, as in l igs. 1 and 3, l. employ stays or looking devices, 18, one of which is arranged in each corner of the box.

The same consists of a rod bent into rightangular form, the same being held pivotall in keepers attached to the lower portion of the ends 2, These rods extend up over the middle joint of the ends 2, 2 and the lower horizontal portion is adapted to rest on the bottom 1 in Figs. 3 and 5, the stays 18 are shown in the extended position, that is to say, in the position required to support the hinged ends 2, 2-, vertically but when it is desired to collapse and fold the darkroom, the stays 18 are turned so that their horizontal portions lie close against the lower sections of the folding ends, as shown in Fig. 2, and as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 5. Thus, by the simple adjustment of the stays 18 from one position to the other, they may be placed to support the ends 2, 2 or to allow the same to be folded upon each other. The upper section of the foldable ends 2- is provided with a ruby or amber-colored glass which shuts out white light but allows sufficient light for the operator to work within the box.

A swinging wire frame 19 is attached to the top 1, on the inside, see Fig. 3, the same serving as a receptacle or support for plateholders.

In Fig. 4 the dark-room is shown collapsed and folded compactly, save that the legs 4, 4, are shown projecting upward instead of being folded flat as will be normally the case. It will be seen that the jointed and detachable braces 5 lie flat on the bottom 1 a of the dark-room, and when the legs are folded they overlie such braces and are fastened together by any suitable means.

By means of our improved dark-room sensitive plates or films may be exposed and developed while protected from white light,

but the operator may obtain white light when required by pressing the treadle and thus collapsing or folding the hood 6 backward. Instantly upon release of pressure upon the treadle 11, the hood is restored automatically to the extended or erect position shown in Figs. 1, 3, so that the mass of white light is shut out and the operator may work through the side openings provided by the sleeves 3 What we claim is: l. The improved portable dark-room comprising rigid top and bottom portions, flexile sides provi ed with flexible and lateral extensions in the form of sleeves, folding end portions composed of rigid sections hinged together and to the top and bottom portions, and pivoted swinging stays attached to the end portions and adapted for adjustment in position for holding the ends extended vertically and to be folded against the ends when the dark-room is to be collapsed, substantially as described.

2-. The dark-room proper provided with a hood attached to its upper portion and provided with lever arms extending down on the sides of the dark-room, elastic bands or straps connected with said arms for holding the hood normally elevated and distended, and a treadle attachment connected with the arms, whereby, upon applying pressure to the treadle the hood may be thrown back, or folded, against the tension of elastic straps, substantially as described.

The combination with the dark-room proper, of the distensible hood applied thereto, the same having a bow-shape lever which is pivoted to the top portion of the darkroom, and elastic straps connected with such lever and serving to hold the hood normally elevated and distended, as shown and described.

4. The combination of the darhroom proper, of a distensible hood attached to its upper portion, a pivoted lever connected with the front portion of the hood, and a spring attachment of said lever for holding the hood normally elevated, substantially as described.

5. T he combination with the dark-room proper and a flexible hood attached to the end of the same, a pivoted lever connected with the hood and a treadle attachment and retracting spring connected with the lever, whereby the hood is held normally distended but may be thrown backward at the will of the operator, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the dark-room pro or having legs, of a distensible hood attac ed to the upper portion of the same and having a pivoted lever attachment, a re tracting spring connected with the attachment a treadle having a strap connected with such attachment, and a detachable connection between the treadle and a leg of the darkroom, substantially as described.

CHRISTIAN BURR. [It s] HENRY FRANK THOMAS. [a s1 Witnesses CLYDE ALLEN, D. D. FoRsYTHE. 

